The Life & Times Of Ignitus
by Alric
Summary: Look past the years of his life as a guardian, witness his childhood, see him when he was not always the wise dragon you thought he was, experience his life before he became The Chronicler


**Chapter One**

**In The Dawn of Fall**

It was a cold misty morning in October, the air was moist and the ground was muddy. It was a lovely day in the Thousand Acre Forest as I was finally feeling better after having to spend so much time back home.

Upon the thick towering trees were leaves that wore the warm shades of autumn as it just gave it a sense of light and warmth. The fresh glistening dew made the leaves shimmer like diamonds.

It felt quite nice to take a little stroll through the forest, rather than to go into the hustle and bustle of the city. I continued to walk merrily along the silver river.

As I walked I stumbled upon the entrance of a cave. Claw marks were slashed on the brim of the cave, I placed my own against it and followed its stroke, as I narrowed my eyes to look more closely it was a perfect match.

"Nearly there…" I said

I walked into the cave as it just grew darker and darker, until I only saw pitch black. I couldn't help but feel someone was following me, watching from the corners of the darkness, moving from the corners of my eyes; but it was only darkness and nothing more. I walked forward slowly like a blind man trying to feel the area around him, when I stumbled upon what I did not know; I jumped back quickly to my feet as I called out "Who's there?"

I held my breath and listened for any breathing, but it was just the darkness that plays tricks and nothing more. Then in an instant flash of light, the cave started to illuminate itself. What I stumbled upon was no ordinary rock, but a very powerful gem.

The most rare and valuable of gems where even an ounce of it is worth more than sacks of silver and gold, and an entire cavern of it stands before me.

I have never seen so many spirit gems before, the most powerful of all gifts from the ancestors. I read that in ancient times that that they unlock the secrets of the ancestors and dragons. It is said that the very presence of the ancestors could be felt by the mere touch of these gems.

I walked towards one much larger than myself. I looked deeply into it and saw my reflection upon it. I jumped back with shock; did my reflection just wink at me? No, I must be seeing things, yet I still wonder.

I hesitated for a moment when I approached it again. I carefully placed my paw onto it, and suddenly I felt so full of strength and power. I could feel my own blood strengthening with legendary power. I let out a huge burst of flame with no effort.

I walked further into the cave, that's when I saw light at the end of the tunnel.

When I finally left the cave, water was pouring onto me. I took a step forward and landed into a large body of water. I cleared my eyes to find a wonderful sight as I looked all around me. I smiled and said "Finally here"

It was a nice little open area in the Thousand Acre Forest; waterfall above the cave was splashing into the water and flowing onward into the forest, tall trees with thick orange and yellow leaves.

I swam towards shore and shook myself dry, and then I decided to sit by a tree that stood close by the lake. I held up my leather bag, dripping with water, I was only concerned with the contents. I reached inside and pulled out a parcel; luckily it was completely dry.

I ripped apart the wrapping to uncover what was inside. What I held in my hand was a hard red book and a letter addressed to me.

I was observing the book; the title gleamed with gold printing:

_Operation Valkyrie_

I turned my head towards the letter, as I opened the envelope a mere glance told me who wrote it.

_Dear Ignitus,_

_I'm so sorry, but I can't make it to your birthday, I have a lot of work to take care of on this trip and I needed to pay off my debts._

_However, one night Mr. Harold asked if I could stay a bit longer and he was willing to pay extra. During that very night while I was working an article, I heard tapping on my window, when I turned around it was Arigoth's messenger hawk, Torn!_

_He wrote me a letter telling me you seemed a bit lonely inside that big old house and I should thank him for reminding I ought to get something worthwhile for your birthday. Remember how you always talked about WWII?_

_I went into the bazaar and found something you probably will be interested in. I doubt you have anything like this in your collection. This is not a reproduction; this is the first edition copy of Operation Valkyrie_

_Hope it makes your fifteenth birthday worth remembering,_

_Love_

_Verana_

_P.S_

_Remember how Arigoth told me you seemed pretty lonely inside by yourself? This mark fifteen years from the day your generation hatched and when I took you under my wing when you hatched. You ought to go into town square and make some friends!"_

After reading the letter several times, I only said "Thank You Verana"

I really appreciated her of having to go through the trouble of finding something rare like this. I looked towards the bottom of the letter, and I thought to myself, "Friends?"

The mere mention of the word stabbed me like a stake running through my heart. For so long I had gone through, I never thought I would actually need friends. I doubt I should try; the aftermath would just be fruitless. I always thought Verana was a sort of companion, but she did do something of which I could never ask her to do. Perhaps I will, but only time would tell. Time is filled with mysteries and surprises and one can never expect the aftermath of events, all one can do is open their mind.

I knew it was my birthday all along, fifteen years from the day I arrived to the city of Farthen according to Verana. Fifteen years and I still don't know where I truly came from, or why I ever came here. Each year I would ask Verana where I come from, she only tells me the story of how she rescued my egg from being lost at sea and how she was my step mother, but a feeling always comes to my mind and tells me that Verana and I share more than I know.

Sometimes I feel as though she does not tell me everything of what I know, _I won't stand being kept in the shadows for another year,_ I thought. The memory strikes at me again and again of how for so long I had eavesdropped on Verana and Arigoth conversations in the dead of night. I can still hear the voices shouting inside my head "You can't do this to Ignitus Verana. He has every right to know!"

"Arigoth did you even for once think of the disaster this could cause?! Ignitus doesn't need to know about it, I don't want him going around with the slightest thought of his past. He's better off not knowing!" She yelled shrewdly.

"You can't keep it away from him forever Verana! He will find out eventually!" Arigoth replied with sharpness.

"I'll tell him when he's older. He's too young" she answered while turning her back

"And so are you! Yet you act as though you're his mother!" As Arigoth approached her, as soon as he grabbed a hold of her shoulder she turned around vigorously with glaring eyes

"I'm as good as his mother! Who else does he have?!"

"Verana you cannot keep Ignitus in the shadows, he's already fourteen therefore he's already old enough to know!"

"He's just a teenager! Not even a teenager, a child! No, for now I'll have to keep him happy until he's of age, before then he must not know!"

"Verana, I would hate to argue with you any further. On his fifteenth birthday you'll have to tell him, before he attends the academy"

"I just don't know what to do. Sometimes I watch him asleep in his room, mumbling _mum and dad, mum and dad. _I'm worried for him, he'll know soon but I just don't know how he would react" The anger from her face drained away, leaving only slow sadness.

Arigoth sighed "We're all worried Verana. We all are"

I crept in slightly further to get a better glimpse of the conversation. _CREAK. _I tried to rush back to my room but Verana caught me in the hall "Hold it right there Ignitus, care to ask what are you doing walking about in the dead of night?' she sneered with sarcasm.

"Err right well see I had to go-"she raised her brow

"Alright…Alright! I heard yelling and I decided to see what the fuss was about, happy?"

However, Verana was not all pleased at all, she sighed "It's nothing really Ignitus, me and Arigoth were just having a friendly disagreement, grownups argue all the time. You should get to bed it's already one in the morning"

"Yes ma'am" I replied, I walked back to my room but I didn't sleep that night. I stared out into the night sky looking into the correlations; I wondered what they meant by "the truth". I had many questions that night, unsure of what it could mean, though I was certain one of thing "I don't know as much as I thought"

I pushed away that memory as I reached inside my bag and pulled out a note, it was from Arigoth:

_Ignitus,_

_Meet me by town square at eleven; I want to take you somewhere to show you something after lunch, something important, that I hold close to me._

_Cheers_

_Arigoth… _

Arigoth is a very humble ice dragon. I often see him working in his own book shop _Alistair's helped in very dire situations in the past and has a liking to Verana._

I just focused on my book; the very first edition written by Alric Von Daffenhër is now in my claws. This book is over three hundred years old written in Vargön, and in fairly good condition.

I turned to the first chapter; the Dolkefar starts out in a military camp while under the rank of private second class. He makes an entry log in the dead of night, after his friend had just been killed in battle, he questions the leadership of Oswald; he asks what he truly fights for and what does his leader Oswald plan to achieve from all this war and blood loss.

The next morning, he and the rest of the commandant prepare to leave Darnos and strike enemy territory. They ambushed by the enemy, many died, there were only a few survivors each of them severely wounded.

Alric did not walk away unscathed from the massacre. He was mortally wounded, he had lost left and right eye, three fingers off his right hand and his entire left hand, and of course several scars.

I continued to further read on, the story started to raise suspense and excitement. I read for quite some period, I wonder what time it is.

I was reading a very interesting chapter on which Alric was promoted to the rank of colonel

_Gong_

I was shut out of my book, I turned towards the sky wonder what could have caused that sound, _It just have been my imagination._

_Gong_

There is was again, I was now certain it was no figment of my imagination

_Gong_

"Oh no"

It was clear I was and hour late, the clock tower chimes continued to ring loudly at high noon. I quickly shoved my book and letter inside my bag and took off to skies.

I had an image of Arigoth wandering around town square, wondering where I was. I just hope Verdana hadn't arrived today, I can't imagine how furious she would be with me.

I flew as fast as my wings could carry me; I ripped through the harsh winds that threatened to send me plummeting to the earth, my fear fuelling my determination.

The ringing of the chimes only continued to grow louder and louder, I knew was close. Then nothing, I only heard the sound of the flowing winds.

Beyond the fog filled skies I managed to catch a glimpse of the city. _I won't be able to make it in time before the gates close, I can't go over it._

I turned my heads towards the sky, and then I wondered. _Hope this works._

I manoeuvred upwards as high as I could, the air just felt thinner and thinner until I could barely make out the city, then I just fell downward.

To go at a tremendous speed only felt… exhilarating; I felt as though my entire face was peeling itself. And then before I hit the ground, I spread my wings out at the last second,

I thought I was going faster than the speed of light, ripping through the air. There it was the main gate, it just quickly grew bigger and bigger.

I tried to stop but it was hopeless, I spread my wings wider to help slow me down but it didn't help. I only had one option left, as I braced myself for impact; I put paw my down and I started to tumble and turn out of control. I must have turned about a thousand times, and then I landed right in front of the main gate to the city. "God lord, if ye have gone any faster, you'd 'ave knocked th' city right off its feet. Try t' come earlier than that lad." Said A Scottish hound.

"I'll try to keep it in mind"

I rushed inwards and ran towards town square to see if Arigoth was still there to see. The courtyard was usually busy at around noon. I merely wandered around looking for him, but he was nowhere to been from among the crowd.

I sat by a stone bench and waited with anticipation, counting each second that went by. I heard the drums of thunder nearing as it started to rain, I watched dragons quickly leave the courtyard in less than a minute.

Then only one stood in the center of the courtyard. I recognized the tall ice dragon, his dark blue scales his horns curved back like a ram's, and just like most ice dragons his horns and claws looked like the cold ice blue of January.

When he caught sight of me, he approached me and calmly said "Ignitus you're finally, I was beginning to worry. Where have you been? And why are your robes covered in dirt and mud? '

"Err, well I ran into some trouble on the way back, see I walked to the forb- to the northern harbour at the ship ports. I spent some time there in the morning wondering if Verana had arrived. I headed back here but then I had walk all the way around just to use the main entrance and then I just ran here as fast as I could"

Part of that was a lie; I did my best to act natural as he glared at me with his red ember eyes.

"Right, and how did your robes get dirty again?"

"Oh, well err I landed into a pile of dirt on the way here" I didn't find the lie that convincing, and neither did Arigoth.

"Ignitus is there something you're not telling me?'

"No, why would I do that?"

Arigoth mere chuckled "You were never good at lying, but that's what I like about you"

"Promise you won't tell? Keep this secret between you and me?"

"I won't tell your secret if you don't tell mine"

"That won't be hard"

As we walked out of the courtyard I added in a whisper "After all it's hardly a secret"

* * *

**I don't really know what to achieve from this, nor do I know why I do it. I do it without any hesitation for some reason, and this is what I create. Not a great piece of art I know, but I like the idea of a story about Ignitus's life. It just sort of came to me while thinking about old wise figures and mentors from games and stories, e.g Gandalf from LOTR. I have a lot of ideas for this story, but if you have any ideas you'd like to share tell them and we'll discuss.**


End file.
